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These hot honey pepperoni cheese bites are guaranteed to be a hit at your next party!
Sharp Italian cheese and spicy pepperoni nestled in buttery crescent pastry dough is then drizzled with hot honey and sprinkled with fresh rosemary.
The flavor combination is totally awesome, and you won’t believe how easy they are to make.
These cheesy bites are the perfect appetizer for holiday parties, game day or just an afternoon snack. Serve them any time your friends and family gather and watch them disappear!
Ingredients for Pepperoni Cheese Bites
Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make these cheesy pepperoni bites:
- Crescent roll dough
- Asiago cheese
- Pepperoni
- Fresh rosemary
- Honey
- Red pepper flakes
How to Make This Pepperoni Cheese Appetizer
First, roll out the crescent roll dough. Press the seams together with your fingers. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Then, cut 24 squares out of the dough. I like to use a pizza wheel do this, but any sharp knife will do the trick.
Now, place your dough squares into a mini muffin pan.
Put one piece of pepperoni and one cheese cube into each muffin cup, and bake!
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
How to Serve these Pepperoni Cheese Bites
While the pepperoni cheese bites are baking, mix together the honey and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
As soon as these delicious appetizers are cool enough to handle, pop them out of the muffin tin. They should still be pretty warm. Drizzle the hot honey over top, followed by a sprinkle of rosemary. Don’t skip the rosemary!
This awesome snack is best served warm or at room temperature.
Variations on this Pepperoni Cheese Appetizer Recipe
The combination of flavors in this easy recipe give a distinctive holiday vibe. But there are endless variations that will make it the perfect snack for any time of year or occasion! Here are some ideas:
- Italian Pepperoni Cheese Bites: Swap out the asiago for mozzarella cheese and replace the rosemary with Italian seasoning.
- Mediterranean Pepperoni Cheese Bites: Try using feta cheese instead of asiago and minced fresh oregano instead of rosemary.
- Pepperoni Pizza Bites: Make mini pizza bites using a dot of tomato sauce or pizza sauce plus fontina or mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese. Bite size pizza night!
- Game Day Pepperoni Cheese Bites: Try using cheddar cheese and minced jalapeno peppers with the pepperoni and hot honey. Fire!
- Fancy Pepperoni Cheese Bites: Upgrade the pepperoni to prosciutto and pair it with a mild cheese like goat or cream cheese, or go with a sharp cheese like Grana Padano. Sprinkle minced fresh basil on top.
Substitutions for these Hot Honey Pepperoni Cheese Bites
1. Cheese: Asiago cheese is a sharp Italian cheese with a very distinct flavor. If you can’t find Asiago, go for Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano (although the latter won’t melt as well). For a milder cheese, try fontina or mozzarella.
2. Pepperoni: Believe it or not, I use turkey pepperoni in this recipe! Obviously real pepperoni would be amazing, or even those little mini pepperonis that you see at the grocery store would be good. You could also try salami for a similar but interesting flavor variation.
3. Crescent Roll Dough: I get a ton of questions from foodies overseas about what they can use instead of crescent roll dough. Sadly, you can’t find crescent roll dough in the UK or Australia – boo! My recommendation is to substitute refrigerated puff pastry or croissant dough. Avoid pizza dough, as it will be too dry.
How to Store these Pepperoni Cheese Bites
If you have any pepperoni cheese bites left over, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, reheat them in a warm oven or air fryer for 2-4 minutes.
When you make these Hot Honey Pepperoni Cheese Bites, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more easy appetizer recipes, try these:
- Baked Brie with Fig Jam, Pecans and Rosemary
- Easy and Creamy 3 Ingredient Artichoke Dip
- Apple Butter Baked Brie Puff Pastry Twists
Hot Honey Pepperoni Cheese Bites (Easy Appetizer)
Ingredients
- 1 package crescent roll dough
- 8 oz. Asiago cheese cut into cubes
- 24 slices pepperoni
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary minced
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Roll out the crescent roll dough, pressing the seams together with your fingers if necessary. Cut 24 squares out of the dough.
- Place one dough square into each muffin cup. Place one piece of pepperoni and one cube of asiago on top of the dough. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the honey and red pepper flakes.
- Top each pepperoni and cheese bite with a drizzle of hot honey and a sprinkle of rosemary.
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